Game Preview: Angels(39-32) @ Cubs(30-38)

The Cubs try to avoid the sweep and hopefully save my little Katie and I from years of humiliation. Colvin sits against another lefty (don't ever go 0/4 again kid), but Baker still gets to play after yesterday's Brook Robinson impression. I should be in chat for most of the game if anyone is around and still cares.

cf byrd, 3b baker, 1b lee, rf nady, c soto, lf sori, ss castro, 2b riot, p zambrano

Have you felt like there's been a lack of timely hitting by the Cubs and wasting good starts by their pitchers? Well reader WISCGRAD was wondering the same thing and calculated the numbers of wins as a percentage of quality starts. Unsurprisingly the Cubs are worst in the NL and third worst in the majors behind the poor Mariners that can't buy a run and the Land of Misfit Cubs Toys known as the Orioles.

Chart after the jump...

Please note, if it's not obvious, that is the percentage of all team wins, not just wins in games where the team had a quality start

Happy Father's Day, hopefully the Cubs make it a little happier

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Cubs Game Preview
Submitted by Rob G. on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 12:00pm
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Comments

Submitted by Tony S.
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 12:15pm

Well, yes, hope springs eternal....

(Happy Father's Day to all!)

Submitted by John Beasley
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 12:19pm

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball...

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 12:58pm

Another player whose future in the organization is grim is right-fielder Kosuke Fukudome, who went 0-for-4 Saturday and will sit more with Tyler Colvin getting more playing time in right. The Cubs are unlikely to eat the bulk of the remaining $21 million on Fukudome's contract, and he has veto rights to 15 teams because of his no-trade clause.

good luck with that...

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 1:49pm

If the Cubs are unlikely to eat the bulk of the contract, then his place in the organization is pretty much set.

Submitted by Tony S.
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 2:00pm

That's kinda what I was thinking. The Cubs find themselves in the very Cub-like position of just now figuring out or deciding that this team ain't gettin 'er done, in a buyers' market, where nobody has any money and the overpaid pieces they're trying to trade not having done much to make themselves marketable. But they're "unlikely to eat the bulk".... sure.

The funniest part? If Soriano has a decent week or three, he may be more trade-able than some of the other players...

Submitted by Tony S.
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 2:02pm

And the second funniest part? My gut tells me the ex-Cub factor means most of these guys would play great elsewhere if/when they get traded.... but other teams aren't going to pay that much for those lottery tickets (and rightfully so)

Submitted by Tony S.
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 2:15pm

Len just called Dempster the de facto ace. Thoughts?

**Update** Shortly after that he says "I guess a case could be made for Silva"

Fuck, really?

Submitted by jacos
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 2:24pm

Converted reliever to starter and back up catcher are looking good today.
F U Lou.

Submitted by Tony S.
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 2:56pm

Hunter's diving catch on Castro's ball?

"Marlon Byrd-like"

How TF does Len Kasper live with himself?? (Or have a job?)

**This post is dedicated to Steve Stone**

Submitted by WISCGRAD
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 3:04pm

I don't mind Len and Bob. I also give any Cubs announcers the benefit of the doubt for having to watch this shit on a daily basis and still talk about for 3 hours everyday like they care and like there is still hope. I couldn't do it.

Submitted by crunch
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 3:33pm

len and bob are my favorite 7th inning singers...no interview following. good stuff.

Submitted by Ryno
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 5:49pm

I like Len & Bob. I also enjoyed Chip & Stoney, though...

*ducks

Submitted by Old and Blue
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 9:42am

My favorite announcers were Harry and that kid he had as his straight man for the White Sox.

Ducks.

Sorry, my dad was a White Sox fan.

I think the kid's name was Bob Waller or some such, but don't quote me on that.

That was when Harry said, "That wouldn't be a home run in a phone booth" and "Rahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhd Carew".

Harry was a great Cubs broadcaster but he was a better Sox announcer.

I also remember Walt Williams spitting into his helmet every at bat, and rubbing it on his not so shabby afro.

There really is some good Sox lore out there. I'm glad my dad was a fan so I could enjoy some of it.

If you wanna know why I turned on the old man, it was the 69 Cubs and Brickhouse. God I loved that team.

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 9:48am

Submitted by Old and Blue on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 8:42am.
My favorite announcers were Harry and that kid he had as his straight man for the White Sox.

------------------------------------------

O & B: That would be Bob Waller, the guy who looked like Anthony Perkins.

Submitted by QuietMan
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 10:30am

And there was Jimmy Piersall who Anthony Perkins played in Fear Strikes Out.

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 10:35am

Submitted by QuietMan on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 9:30am.
And there was Jimmy Piersall who Anthony Perkins played in Fear Strikes Out

=======================================

QUIET MAN: I sat with Jimmy Piersall at a Spring Training game a couple of years ago, and he still is angry about Anthony Perkins getting cast as Piersall in Fear Strikes Out.

Submitted by QuietMan
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 11:45am

Did he say who he wanted?

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 11:49am

Submitted by QuietMan on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 10:45am.
Did he say who he wanted?

==================================

QUIET MAN: No, but based on the reason he didn't like Anthony Perkins, I got the impression he would have preferred John Wayne or Robert Mitchum.

Submitted by Tony S.
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 3:59pm

Rob, not sure if this is 'sanctioned' (if not, just delete the post), but here's one blogger's well-articulated argument as to why Lou is done after the utter crap he was spouting yesterday.

http://worldseriesdreaming.mlblogs.com/archiv...

Submitted by crunch
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 5:00pm

can't speak for rob, but info is info and ads are ads...this seems to definitely fall under "info."

even a "competitor" blog with good info has been welcome in the past without being given crap for it.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 6:09pm

I thought he was going to demand firing Lou for using Howry in a one run game. The quote he's harping on isn't that big to me, since everyone knows Lou was thinking that anyway.

Saving Cashner and Marshall for small leads in the 7th inning is stupid, how many times does that happen during the season, especially for this team? Good job using Howry in the winnable game and Cashner in the laugher, Lou. Here's your paycheck, enjoy Florida.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 6:14pm

all fire sales start with Hendry otherwise it's just a deck shuffling...

Submitted by Old and Blue
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 9:45am

I'm going to counter you guys (and myself) with this link:

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/13545706/p...

There are some good points here, and I think the main take away is that Lou really did get dealt a shitty hand, and the main culprit is a guy I really liked a couple years ago.

Man, I'm glad my job is not this hard. I'd drink even more than I already do. Okay, that's not much anymore cuz I'm, like, 90 years old, but you get the point.

Submitted by garsky
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 9:47am

These are blogs, I know, written by Joe Sixpack and all, but that writer could have said in 30 words what he took 1,000 words to say. Three minutes of my life I'll never get back...

Submitted by Ryno
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 5:47pm

A percentage implies a part of a whole. I'm not sure this percentage is very meaningful. But no sense splitting hairs, because the point remains... the Cubs are getting decent starts and not winning. Lack of offense. Same ol' story.

Submitted by WISCGRAD
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 10:24pm

If it makes you happier, change it to ratio, or write it as team wins relative to team quality starts, or something like that. I think it is meaningful in that it is a quick way to show how well a team is performing relative to how well it's starting pitching is performing.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 8:57pm

Well, we kicked the hell out of a good team, picked up a game on the division leaders and can't lose tomorrow - Happy Father's Day Cubs fans.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 11:08pm

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/st...

I feel if you put the quotes by Ramirez here next to those ESPN ads of fans talking out of their ass, you'd have something.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAs6TDLuKgQ

Submitted by JoePepitone
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 1:23am

Excellent, excellent!

Submitted by George Altman
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 1:23am

All you have to do is look to the right of this page and you can see Ricketts is stuck with Zambrano, Soriano, and Fukudome until their contracts expire (almost $50M/year through 2011) unless he and the family want to eat some serious cash (probably not likely). For that matter, add Ramirez at another $15M through 2011 also.

What makes no sense is Lou playing Koyie and his OF stiffs over Colvin. Lou isn't going to win anything with this current roster (one of the most unwatchable Cubs teams since 2004). If Hendry and anyone else in the leadership hierarchy expects him to, then they should replace Lou now.

I cut bait with Kosuke, make Zambrano the 5th starter for the forseeable future, and play Soriano everyday provide he maintains his average above .290 and produces runs.

I give Castro, Soto, Ramirez (when he returns), Theriot (until I find a trade partner), Colvin, and Byrd everyday playing status. I trade Lee as soon as I can find a taker because I wouldn't re-sign him or Nady; and leave the the last one standing to play 1B until October.

By late summer I would have Jay Jackson, Diamond, Schlitter, and Russell up here to see if they're ready to get MLB hitters out. I would try to trade Grabow and Lilly to contenders.

In the off season, this team needs a first-baseman (maybe ARam) or third baseman, an OF (maybe Brett Jackson), at least 2-3 relief pitchers, and 1-2 starting pitchers (depending on Cashner moving to the rotation or staying in a setup role).

I would suggest Samardzija try football.

Submitted by Newport
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 2:05am

I would suggest Hendry just stick with Samninja instead of signing Howry. They are equally smelly pieces of shit, so why shell out an extra 800k or whatever Howry costs?

Submitted by Ryno
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 8:58am

Soriano... fourrr moreee yearrrss...

Submitted by Cubster
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 6:23am

Santo scaling back...not going on this road trip to his home town of Seattle. On the radio broadcast yesterday in relation to conversation about players getting uniform numbers in 1932, and the numbers given were based on where one batted in the lineup (Ruth #3, Gehrig #4, etc), Pat Hughes teased Santo in that his #10 was because he only dated "tens". He asked Santo if any of his old flames would visit the booth when they were in Seattle (so I think not making this trip was a decision made yesterday).

Ron Santo has agreed to cut back on travel because of his health....said he may miss more trips this season and that next year he and WGN agree that limiting his trips to the Midwest only would help his health.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball...

Submitted by big_lowitzki
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 3:58pm

Santo scaling back...not going on this road trip to his home town of Seattle.

Does this mean that the radio broadcasts will finally be listenable again?

Submitted by Tony S.
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 4:46pm

To each their own, but I really enjoy Pat and Ron on XM. And like him or not, you can't say he doesn't care......

Submitted by Old and Blue
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 9:49am

and no, it's not cuz I write twice a year for his Bears blog.

I really have to say that I keep trying other Cubs blogs and this is where I always end up.

I'm not a stats hound, but I'm learning how to become one, and AZ Phil is ridiculous, and most of you posters are insanely knowledgeable about baseball.

I just want to say thanks to you guys. This is a sucky season, and you all knew it coming in, and still here you are.

And no, I did not have a near death experience. I'm just sort of nostalgic today (see my earlier post about the White Sox).

But, I don't love you guys. I only like you.

Submitted by Tony S.
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 4:47pm

That's really cool, man. Couldn't agree more.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 6:48pm

Keep waiting for Rob G to post "You like me... you really like me!", but I've now given up hope.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 06/22/2010 - 1:05am

I just assume you all tolerate me and you're all too lazy to check out other blogs.

And we have AZ Phil.

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 10:05am

Cubs 29th round pick LHP Casey Harman is starting for Clemson at the College World Series this morning versus #1 ranked Arizona State.

Harman was Clemson's "Friday Night starter" (#1 starter) this season and was projected to get selected somewhere in rounds 6-10, but inexplicably fell all the way to Round 29.

He had an outstanding outing (albeit taking the loss) in Clemson's opening Super Regional game versus Alabama a week ago Saturday (one earned run, nine strikeouts, and no walks), and should command "5th round money" despite his draft position, although the Cubs can't sign him until Clemson finishes playing in the CWS.

Harman throws an 86-89 MPH sinker with "average" curve and change, but he has outstanding control (he has not walked more than two batters in any game throughout his college career).

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